Dug smith at the university of pennsylvania's pen centre for brain injury and repair in philadelphia uncovered evidence that could be crucial explaining some of the different outcomes seen in women versus men. Their brain cells are structurally different. Every neuron has a major fibre called the axon, which is responsible for transmitting electrical signals from cell to cell. Damage to axons through strong sheer forces is thought to be the main reason that concussions occur. Knowing the extent of axonal damage could be an indicator of how well someone could recover from a concussion. Some researchers think differences in neck strength might have a considerable role in mitigating the damage wrought by concussion.